coast amaranth vs Common brassbuttons

Amaranthus pumilus compared with Cotula coronopifolia

Key Differences

  • coast amaranth is Extinct while Common brassbuttons is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank coast amaranth Common brassbuttons
Kingdom same Plantae (Plants) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales) Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family Amaranthaceae Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus Amaranthus Cotula
Species Amaranthus pumilus Cotula coronopifolia

Evolutionary Relationship

coast amaranth and Common brassbuttons share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

coast amaranth

EX — Extinct

Common brassbuttons

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute coast amaranth Common brassbuttons
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

coast amaranth

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Japan.

Common brassbuttons

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Morocco), Asia (Japan), Europe (15 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), and South America (6 countries).

coast amaranth

Coast amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) is an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae, native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the eastern United States, where it once grew on coastal foredunes, beach strand, and shell-hash substrates above the high tide line from New York south to South Carolina. It is a low-growing, fleshy plant with small, rounded leaves and inconspicuous green flowers typical of the genus. Coast amaranth is assessed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, as it has not been reliably documented from wild populations since the mid-20th century; the last confirmed collections date to the 1960s. The species' decline and likely extinction resulted from intense human pressure on Atlantic coastal habitats through shoreline development, beach stabilisation, vehicular traffic on beaches, and increased storm frequency disrupting pioneer dune vegetation. It is federally listed as Threatened in the United States, though this listing predates confirmed extinction in the wild. A small number of ex-situ accessions may exist in botanical garden collections. Genetic material and seed banking efforts represent the only remaining conservation options for this critically reduced species.

Common brassbuttons

Common brassbuttons (<em>Cotula coronopifolia</em>) is a small annual or perennial herb with a remarkably broad global distribution, occurring across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. This species typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments, often colonizing wet or damp areas such as salt marshes, mudflats, stream margins, and disturbed roadsides. The common brassbuttons has not been formally evaluated on the IUCN Red List. A member of the family Asteraceae, it produces distinctive button-like yellow flowerheads that give the species its common name. Originally native to southern Africa, the species has spread widely and is considered naturalized or invasive in many regions outside its native range. It often thrives in seasonally flooded habitats and tolerates saline soils, demonstrating considerable ecological flexibility. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

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